I have had great success with circuit training. It has been an extremely effective way for me to develop and maintain both strength and endurance at the same time. Another way he has served me successfully is as a strength and conditioning coach for the men’s soccer program at a local high school. As in my own personal program, I have been able to provide a high level of fitness to 60 children in a minimal amount of time by increasing their strength and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously.
Circuit training is not an exercise in itself, but rather a routine exercise method that combines a sequence of exercises with short rest periods between each exercise.
In the paragraphs that follow, I will reveal how to structure an effective circuit training routine to improve overall fitness or improve performance in a specific sport.
How to use circuit training
1. General physical condition
Circuit training is a highly effective and efficient way to develop and maintain overall fitness for the busy lifestyle person because three to four short sessions per week are all that is needed. The key to improving strength and endurance simultaneously is to perform a sequence of high intensity cardio and resistance exercises with little or no rest in between.
2. Develop basic strength
When athletes begin a program designed to increase performance in their specific sport, they should always focus on an initial period emphasizing basic strength during the offseason in anticipation of preparing for more challenging conditioning in the preseason period.
The athletes I coach have been playing soccer since elementary school. His off-season circuits emphasize correcting his muscular imbalances. For example, soccer players are notorious for neglecting upper body training, so I constantly use exercises to work on that. The remaining exercises are used as movements commonly used in our sport such as kicks, jumps and lateral movements.
3. Develop muscular endurance. In my sport, soccer, as in many others such as basketball, lacrosse and water polo, among others, it is necessary for athletes to have cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Circuit training routines can be designed to meet the unique requirements of the sport. By shortening rest periods, cardiovascular endurance is increased. An exercise routine for an interval sprint sport like soccer will look very different than a cross country team.
General fitness guidelines
All that is needed are three or sessions per week. Similar to conventional weightlifting, there should be 48 hours between sessions. When selecting an exercise, the resistance level should be such that a person can exercise for a period of 30 to 60 seconds. Otherwise, the exercise, whether performed with dumbbells, resistance bands, or normal body weight, should be modified to be easier or more difficult as needed.
Each routine should have between 7 and 12 exercises that take 30 to 60 seconds. There should be a total of 20 to 25 sets, which means 2 or 3 times through the sequence. The amount of rest between exercises is determined by the person’s fitness level. Novice athletes may need up to 90 seconds. My soccer athletes don’t rest between sets.
Circuit training routines are appropriate for training in, out, or preseason. Three or four sessions a week can be combined with cardio sessions on days off.
Guidelines for short-term strength endurance
The way to train for soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse is to use 30-second bursts of high intensity exercise. In these, the best thing was to imitate the action of these sports. Make sure the movements of the exercise copy the movements that are used frequently in these sports.
Try this circuit:
1) Squats 20
2) Incline push-ups 20
3) jump squats 20
4) Refuse push-ups 20
5) Side lunges 20
6) Cross Body Mountain Climbers 20
7) Dumbbell swings 15
8]Close grip push-ups 20
3 times throughout the sequence